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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: lie · rule · cell · fan · face · fall · patient · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — to point toward
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — the season
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rule — a law
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rule — government
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to confront
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lie — to recline
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — to rule out

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