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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: stand · fall · tear · rock · staff · face · sharp · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — part of the head
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — clever
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. rock — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. face — to confront
  14. fall — to drop
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — the season
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — on your feet
  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