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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: hand · spell · board · face · stock · plane · deal · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. face — part of the head
  5. board — a committee
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stock — shares
  12. face — to point toward
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stock — goods
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hand — help

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