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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: stand · prune · bound · rush · content · snap · bark · toast

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — certain
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — tied together
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. toast — bread
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bound — obliged

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