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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: stem · rule · object · fall · fork · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — a thing
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — the season
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. face — to confront
  14. rule — government
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — a garden tool

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