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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: firm · stand · face · stock · net · perch · lie · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — to confront
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — for catching
  7. firm — a company
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — to be able to
  11. perch — the fish
  12. net — in sport
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — after costs
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — steady
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stand — to bear
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. stand — for spectators

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