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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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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: can · spell · face · row · ruler · cap · pitcher · hand

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. row — a line
  9. cap — of ice
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hand — in cards
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hand — help
  18. cap — a hat
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — letters
  22. can — a tin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spell — magic

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