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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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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: stand · bay · kick · face · cell · stick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. face — to confront
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cell — a phone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cell — in biology
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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