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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: squash · leaves · band · can · bark · toast · kid · firm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — to shout
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. toast — bread
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. band — a ring
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kid — child
  23. band — a music group
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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