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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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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: stick · face · band · root · lie · row · perch · lean

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to confront
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a line
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. face — to point toward
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lie — to recline

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