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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: rock · stick · deal · stand · fan · ruler · roll · face

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rock — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — to bear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. face — to point toward

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