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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 116 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: can · stick · kid · charge · bank · nail · bark · wake

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — to tease
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. kid — child
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — a price
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — in control
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — to be able to
  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