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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: chest · stand · cabinet · shower · rule · face · object · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — part of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. object — a thing
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rule — government
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rule — a law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. object — to protest
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chest — a box
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — to confront

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