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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: shower · spell · mark · stand · rest · face · tube · lean

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stand — to bear
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — letters
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — on your feet

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