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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 116 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: rush · deal · degree · wave · pitcher · season · face · plane

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. face — part of the head
  3. season — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — an amount
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — of the year
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rush — hurry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. season — to add flavour

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