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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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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 · firm · toast · temple · field · row · content · trunk

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. field — farmland
  3. firm — steady
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. content — the amount
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. field — a subject
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. field — for sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. toast — bread
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. row — a line
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. content — happy
  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