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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: stand · rash · cap · stick · nail · face · fall · land

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — a country
  4. face — to confront
  5. stand — to bear
  6. face — to point toward
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fall — the season
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — ground
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. land — to come down
  24. face — part of the head

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