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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: track · bank · prune · snap · temple · deal · bark · staff

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to click
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. deal — to handle
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — a song
  23. staff — a stick
  24. track — a path

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