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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: face · kick · squash · stand · fall · mouse · craft · hand

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hand — in cards
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fall — to drop
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — boats

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