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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: rash · bear · bank · temple · straw · date · hand · pitcher

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bank — of a river
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hand — help
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rash — hasty
  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