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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: fall · face · foot · firm · stand · cell · wake · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cell — a phone
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — part of the head
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — to drop
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. face — to confront
  20. fall — the season
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — before a funeral

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