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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 120 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: spring · rule · firm · board · mug · face · lean · hide

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — a committee
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. face — to confront
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. spring — of water
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spring — a coil
  18. board — to get on
  19. rule — a law
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a face
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — a flat piece

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