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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: present · band · bark · bank · wake · temple · jam · object

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bark — to shout
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — a thing
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — the time now
  13. object — to protest
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — there
  18. object — an aim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bark — of a tree

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