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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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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: last · net · charge · rest · rash · band · bark · hide

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rash — hasty
  6. last — final
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rest — a break
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — in sport
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. last — finally
  20. rest — what's left
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rash — a series
  24. hide — to keep secret

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