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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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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: bank · temple · race · land · present · bark · swing · lean

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — a contest
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. present — there
  9. land — ground
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — to come down
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — the time now
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. land — a country
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — to shout
  24. swing — in golf

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