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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 120 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: stand · face · rest · prune · snap · staff · firm · bowl

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — to bear
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rest — what's left
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — to roll

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