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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · kid · bark · season · wake · ball · straw · bound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — certain
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. ball — a dance
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. season — in sport
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — tied together
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — a straw man

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