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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · object · deal · straw · temple · content · roll · hand

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. roll — a list
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. roll — a cake
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — the amount
  13. hand — in cards
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — a straw man
  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