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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
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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: board · spell · squash · mark · ruler · deal · wax · face

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — the sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — to grow
  14. face — to confront
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — letters
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — an agreement

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