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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: trunk · fork · rule · perch · band · lean · bowl · face

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — a law
  3. lean — thin
  4. band — a music group
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fork — in a road
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. face — to confront
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. band — a ring
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — the fish
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to rest against

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