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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: drill · bark · pound · pop · toast · calf · date · wave

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pop — soda
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. drill — the tool

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