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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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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: drill · pound · bear · temple · cue · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a signal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bank — of a river

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