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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: rush · face · fan · bass · lean · rule · present · spell

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — a gift
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — a law
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. present — there
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. present — the time now
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rule — government
  24. spell — letters

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