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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: bank · rock · object · bowl · coach · rest · bark · temple

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. object — a thing
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — an aim
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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