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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: spell · stick · face · ground · cell · roll · cap · suit

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. suit — clothes
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a list
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — part of the head
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ground — a position
  21. cell — in biology
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ground — the earth

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