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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 116 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 · bound · pass · squash · prune · stem · racket · snap

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — obliged
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — of a tree

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