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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: deal · pound · season · sharp · wake · leaves · squash · band

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — of the year
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. squash — to crush
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a music group
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wake — a trail
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. sharp — clever
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — before a funeral

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