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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: prune · lean · temple · rock · ball · rule · face · stand

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rule — government
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lean — to rest against

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