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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · land · rest · face · dip · kick · ball · stand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. face — part of the head
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — to confront
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. land — ground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — to point toward
  22. land — a country
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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