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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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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: wind · ruler · wave · face · drill · ground · mate · kick

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ground — crushed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. face — to confront
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. kick — a thrill

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