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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: bark · season · net · temple · toast · snap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. 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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. 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