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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: rule · squash · suit · object · face · bank · stem · lean

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — thin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — clothes
  15. squash — the sport
  16. squash — to crush
  17. suit — in cards
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — government

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