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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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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: stem · prune · march · current · safe · straw · bank · wound

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. march — the month
  3. bank — of a river
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — happening now
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. march — music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — electric
  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