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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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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: cap · face · saw · toast · firm · kick · ruler · stand

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — to confront
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cap — a hat
  8. face — to point toward
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — bread
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. firm — steady
  14. cap — of ice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — a company
  19. kick — in football
  20. firm — decided
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cap — a lid

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