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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: rash · roll · object · suit · squash · fan · face · lie

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. face — part of the head
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. object — a thing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — clothes
  24. squash — to crush

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