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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: bound · lie · mark · rash · temple · prune · face · staff

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to confront
  4. bound — tied together
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rash — a series
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. prune — to trim
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — to recline
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rash — hasty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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