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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: wave · bark · track · rule · cap · drill · face · leaves

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. track — a path
  5. face — to confront
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. face — to point toward
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — government
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rule — to rule out

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