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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: face · rest · calf · temple · perch · chair · stem · fork

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rest — what's left
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — a young animal

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