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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: bass · face · safe · hide · stand · rule · fall · nail

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — a law
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. face — to confront
  7. bass — the fish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rule — government
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — the season
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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