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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: lean · pop · trunk · bay · ruler · straw · stand · face

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. face — to confront
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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