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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 116 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: suit · bass · bark · wind · net · degree · wake · face

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. face — part of the head
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wake — a trail
  8. degree — from a university
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — in sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — clothes
  15. face — to confront
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. net — after costs
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. net — for catching
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — in cards

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