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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: face · court · row · cabinet · dip · trunk · leaves · net

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — of law
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of a king
  24. trunk — of a tree

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