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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 120 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: current · lean · ruler · stand · cap · face · track · pit

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — to bend
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lean — thin
  10. current — of water
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. track — a path
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — for measuring

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