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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: spring · toast · chair · bark · foot · rock · rush · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rock — a stone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chair — a leader
  10. spring — of water
  11. rock — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. suit — to fit

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