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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: chest · lean · bark · hide · rash · suit · wake · firm

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. lean — thin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chest — a box
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. firm — decided
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — a trail
  23. firm — steady
  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