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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 · snap · toast · lean · chest · pop · bark · bear

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. toast — bread
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lean — thin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to click
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lean — to rest against

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