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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: dip · arm · rush · bark · tube · date · suit · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — the underground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — a container
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. net — for catching
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. dip — to dunk

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