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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: stand · kick · cap · face · rash · net · chair · present

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kick — in football
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. present — the time now
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — to confront
  11. cap — a lid
  12. present — there
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — after costs
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. face — part of the head

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