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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · rule · roll · craft · last · tube · drill · wave

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — boats
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — to go on
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. face — to confront
  13. rule — a law
  14. face — part of the head
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — final
  17. roll — a list
  18. rule — government
  19. drill — army training
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. face — to point toward
  22. tube — a container
  23. roll — a cake
  24. tube — the underground

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