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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: mouse · snap · bark · sharp · drill · branch · temple · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — a practice
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — an aim
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. branch — a division
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. drill — army training
  24. sharp — clever

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