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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: rock · bark · hand · trunk · temple · bank · rush · ball

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — help

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