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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 · roll · staff · face · board · stand · mine · fall

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — to get on
  10. face — to confront
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — a committee
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — the season
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — a list
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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