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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: stock · calf · lean · stand · plane · capital · ground · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ground — crushed
  3. face — part of the head
  4. capital — a city
  5. stock — shares
  6. capital — money
  7. ground — a position
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. stock — goods
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ground — the earth
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. calf — a young animal

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