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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: chest · net · rock · bound · face · prune

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. prune — to trim
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rock — a stone
  5. net — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bound — certain
  18. rock — music

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