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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 120 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: bank · bear · temple · stick · bark · lean · patient · straw

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — thin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — of a river
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bark — to shout

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