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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pop · net · suit · fork · hide · bark · rash

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chest — a box
  21. net — for catching
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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