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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: wind · fine · face · bark · rush · stand · rest · lie

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rest — a break
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wind — moving air

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