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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: net · fine · bark · present · leaves · face · spring · drill

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — a practice
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — after costs
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. face — to confront
  12. fine — all right
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. face — part of the head
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — for catching
  20. present — there
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spring — a coil
  24. leaves — 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