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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 120 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 · drill · stand · tube · temple · mark · firm · present

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — there
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. present — a gift
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. drill — army training
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — the time now
  23. firm — steady
  24. temple — a place of worship

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