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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 · prune · bark · row · straw · mark · face · fall

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. row — to paddle
  7. prune — to trim
  8. net — for catching
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. face — to confront
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — in sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bark — to shout
  22. face — to point toward
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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