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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: lie · coach · foot · face · prune · board · wound · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — size or range
  5. face — to confront
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — in music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — to get on
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — to recline
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. board — a committee

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