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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
468
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: nail · temple · band · clip · firm · object · bark · leaves

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — a company
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bark — to shout
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a music group
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a ring
  24. nail — for a hammer

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