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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: lash · bark · track · temple · rock · fall · bank · bat

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rock — music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — a path
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. track — to keep track

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