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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 · object · prune · plane · rule · fall · face · nail

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fall — to drop
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — government
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — shares
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stock — goods
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — a tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. object — to protest
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — on a finger

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