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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chest · bank · prune · wake · staff · pitcher · safe · coach

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. staff — a stick
  10. chest — a box
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com