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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
468
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: face · row · band · scale · ruler · track · dip · capital

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. dip — to sink
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a music group
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a line
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — in music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. scale — size or range
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. band — a ring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. track — a song

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