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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · bank · face · wave · drill · deal · row · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — of a king
  4. drill — army training
  5. court — for sport
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bank — for money
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bank — of a river
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. court — of law
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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