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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: face · fall · spell · ruler · cap · stand · mate · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — certain
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. spell — magic
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fall — to drop

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