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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: row · branch · root · safe · prune · coach · wind · straw

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — the cause
  13. branch — a division
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wind — to turn a key

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