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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: bear · dip · straw · bark · face · cue · net · suit

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. face — to confront
  6. bear — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — a hint
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cue — a signal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. suit — in cards
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — in sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. net — after costs
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. face — to point toward

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