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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: toast · hide · suit · racket · chest · bark · rest · season

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. suit — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bark — to shout
  10. suit — clothes
  11. toast — bread
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — in sport
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chest — a box
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — of the year

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