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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 116 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: face · wave · pit · rule · stick · deal · cell · suit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — a law
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — to confront
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — clothes
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. cell — a phone
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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