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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: present · lash · degree · deal · ball · wave · face · rule

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. present — there
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — government
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — the time now
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. present — a gift
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a dance
  20. degree — temperature
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — an amount
  24. deal — a big deal

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