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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: wound · temple · stick · drill · bank · track · perch · wake

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wake — a trail
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. drill — army training
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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