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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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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: perch · club · face · fan · bound · can · jam · lie

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. club — a group
  9. bound — tied together
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. club — for golf
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — part of the head
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. club — for dancing

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