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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: bank · straw · face · temple · date · charge · bark · present

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — a gift
  5. charge — in control
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. date — the fruit
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. present — the time now
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — for money
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. present — there
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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