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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: saw · straw · bark · bat · charge · temple · bank · cue

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — electricity
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — to shout
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — of a river
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — side of the head

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