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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: sharp · bark · fine · spring · firm · mug · temple · snap

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. spring — a coil
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a face
  12. fine — all right
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. spring — of water
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — a company

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