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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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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: trunk · rule · club · straw · bowl · face · net · stand

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rule — government
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — after costs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — part of the head
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. face — to confront
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. straw — dry grass
  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