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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: suit · board · stand · foot · face · spell · chip · lie

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — to get on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. chip — for betting
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. suit — to fit

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