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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: stand · wake · foot · bore · net · firm · face · club

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — a group
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — for catching
  16. firm — a company
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — steady
  22. face — to confront
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — for golf

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