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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: saw · wave · mate · face · game · ruler · season · spell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mate — to breed
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. game — a match
  17. season — in sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mate — a friend
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — of the year
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — to point toward

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