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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 120 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: deal · lash · rule · row · cap · lean · bowl · face

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rule — government
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — of ice
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — a hat
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — to confront
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rule — a law

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