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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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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: squash · face · bay · spring · track · pop · ruler · rock

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. track — a song
  3. rock — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a path
  6. pop — soda
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. face — to confront
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. face — part of the head
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. spring — of water
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pop — to visit
  24. squash — to crush

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