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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 116 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: perch · fine · lie · court · rule · tear · face · rock

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — a law
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fine — all right
  11. lie — to recline
  12. face — to confront
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tear — from crying
  17. face — part of the head
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rule — government

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