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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
468
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: safe · bark · bound · pound · sharp · trunk · toast · squash

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. toast — bread
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bound — obliged
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bark — to shout
  24. safe — out of danger

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