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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: firm · squash · march · bear · dip · bark · saw · rest

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — steady
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. march — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. march — the month
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rest — a break
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — a company
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. saw — the tool

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