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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bound · snap · fork · bark · toast · ground · rush · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — hurry
  3. toast — bread
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — a position
  13. bound — certain
  14. fork — in a road
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to click
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fork — to eat with

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