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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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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: snap · ruler · stand · date · land · face · cap · chest

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — of ice
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cap — a lid
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. date — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — to confront
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — to bear
  21. land — ground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. land — a country

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