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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: straw · chair · prune · patient · safe · bank · trunk · stand

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — of a river
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — to trim
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stand — to bear
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — a professorship

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