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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: saw · file · ruler · cap · lean · bore · wave · face

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lean — to bend
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a document
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. file — a line of people
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — thin
  16. file — a tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bore — to drill

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