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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: present · spell · face · stand · race · ruler · fall · fine

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — to bear
  11. race — the arms race
  12. face — to confront
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — a contest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. race — humankind

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