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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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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: mark · bank · wind · rest · bark · swing · temple · staff

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a trace
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bank — of a river
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — employees
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — to play on
  16. staff — employees
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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