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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: fork · perch · temple · bay · straw · squash · wound · bank

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bank — for money
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. straw — dry grass
  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