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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: scale · cabinet · root · land · season · lie · face · stand

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. land — ground
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stand — to bear
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — of the year
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — in sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. lie — to recline
  23. root — of a word
  24. cabinet — ministers

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