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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · bark · bore · lie · perch · face · rush · bear

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bear — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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