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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. toast — bread
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. perch — the fish
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wound — an injury
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pound — a weight
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. perch — for a bird

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