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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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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: lean · straw · pound · pop · hand · bark · stand · stick

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pop — soda
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pop — to visit
  5. hand — help
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pound — a weight
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pop — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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