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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 116 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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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: saw · stick · squash · firm · band · dip · pound · bark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — to sink
  4. firm — decided
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — a company
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. squash — the sport
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pound — a weight
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a music group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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