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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: craft · face · foot · wave · rush · ruler · cold · squash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. foot — a measure
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — boats
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. face — to confront
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cold — not warm
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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