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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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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: row · face · wake · bark · ball · chair · pit · suit

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pit — in a race
  7. face — to point toward
  8. row — to paddle
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wake — a trail
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ball — a dance
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pit — a hole
  24. chair — a professorship

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