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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: bark · wake · rule · bank · chip · fan · kick · date

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. date — the fruit
  7. kick — in football
  8. chip — to eat
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rule — a law

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