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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 · squash · face · fan · kick · prune · land · ruler

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. face — to confront
  4. squash — to crush
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — to bear
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — in football
  24. squash — the sport

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