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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: spring · object · ball · face · rock · wax · deal · rule

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rule — government
  7. spring — the season
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spring — of water
  11. ball — a great time
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — to grow
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rule — a law
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. object — a thing
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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