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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 120 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: rock · hand · safe · bark · pound · dip · rush · cue

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. hand — help
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hand — in cards
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cue — a hint
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — a weight
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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