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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: lie · bound · stem · face · court · rock · perch · net

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. face — to confront
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. court — of a king
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — for catching
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bound — tied together
  23. court — for sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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