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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: temple · bank · nail · cell · bark · straw · game · present

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — the time now
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — of a river
  22. present — there
  23. cell — a phone
  24. present — a gift

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