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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: deal · can · dip · wave · rule · rock · wound · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. march — the month
  2. rock — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — a law
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — a stone
  18. march — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — government
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. can — to be able to
  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