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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: temple · nail · clip · firm · bark · rock · wake · net

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. clip — a video
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. firm — steady
  10. net — after costs
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. net — for catching
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wake — a trail
  15. net — in sport
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — decided

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