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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: game · face · lean · current · pop · object · firm · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. pop — to visit
  3. game — a match
  4. object — a thing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. game — wild animals
  7. face — to confront
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. current — happening now
  11. pop — soda
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — decided
  14. pop — music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — steady
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. firm — a company
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. current — electric
  23. face — part of the head
  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