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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · press · coach · net · wake · chest · prune · key

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — in sport
  4. chest — of your body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chest — of your body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bank — for money
  13. key — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. net — after costs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chest — a box
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — the most important part
  24. press — to push

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