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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: coach · wake · tear · bank · bowl · bark · mark · lie

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — for money
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mark — a trace
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — for money

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