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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: net · root · chest · vault · face · pound · bound · perch

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bound — tied together
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. net — for catching
  10. root — of a word
  11. chest — a box
  12. net — in sport
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to point toward
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. face — to confront
  18. perch — the fish
  19. net — after costs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bound — obliged

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