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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · rule · object · swing · row · face · stand · lie

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rule — a law
  7. pop — soda
  8. swing — music
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to confront
  12. object — to protest
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — to visit
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. row — a quarrel

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