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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: lean · chest · rush · bound · dip · bark · fall · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chest — a box
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rash — hasty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — a series
  24. fall — the season

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