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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · present · cabinet · saw · content · bark · temple · sharp

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. content — videos and posts
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — the time now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. firm — steady
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. present — there
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. sharp — clever
  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