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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: net · trunk · face · rock · stand · club

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. club — for golf
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. net — after costs
  10. club — a group
  11. stand — to bear
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — in sport
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head

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