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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: hand · board · leaves · straw · saw · temple · bark · key

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. hand — in cards
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. key — for a lock
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. board — to get on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. board — a committee
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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