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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.

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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: bear · face · bark · row · club · net · nail · cell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. net — in sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. club — a group
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. net — for catching
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bark — to shout
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — after costs
  24. row — a line

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