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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: pound · last · bore · face · rock · deal · wave · cap

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cap — a lid
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to confront
  8. last — finally
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bore — to drill
  21. last — final
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. last — to go on
  24. bore — to tire

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