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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: stand · nail · face · roll · can · toast · season · scale

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — bread
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. season — in sport
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. season — of the year
  19. can — a tin
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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