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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 · current · rash · rule · lean · stem · wake · key

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rash — a series
  6. current — happening now
  7. face — to point toward
  8. current — electric
  9. rash — hasty
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rule — government
  12. lean — thin
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. key — for a lock
  16. current — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — a law

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