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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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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: deal · lean · bore · face · wave · track · rule · last

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. last — final
  3. track — a song
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rule — a law
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. last — finally
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — a path
  20. face — to confront
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. track — to keep track
  24. last — to go on

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