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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: fork · capital · perch · bank · arm · lie · coach · face

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — part of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. face — to confront
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fork — in a road
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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