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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 116 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: face · scale · rule · lash · tube · bay · stand · swing

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — government
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — for spectators

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