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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: rock · stand · chest · current · hide · fall · face · firm

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. firm — a company
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — the season
  16. face — to point toward
  17. current — of water
  18. firm — decided
  19. fall — to drop
  20. current — happening now
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — music

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