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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: sharp · swing · toast · bark · bay · wound · ruler · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — to play on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — to shout
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. sharp — clever
  17. squash — the sport
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wound — an injury

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