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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: sharp · squash · stick · lean · can · toast · firm · date

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. firm — a company
  5. date — the fruit
  6. firm — decided
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. sharp — exactly

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