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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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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: bark · perch · lie · rule · suit · safe · face · content

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — to confront
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. suit — clothes
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — to shout
  18. suit — in cards
  19. face — part of the head
  20. content — happy
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — to fit
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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