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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: last · nail · land · face · stick · stand · rest · tube

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — a container
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to confront
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — to come down
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — to bear
  22. face — to point toward
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. land — ground

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