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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: net · fine · face · trunk · mark · club · bore · content

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fine — all right
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. net — after costs
  9. content — happy
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — the amount
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. club — a group
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — to pay attention

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