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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: deal · track · ruler · wave · kid · cap · spring · face

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spring — a coil
  20. face — part of the head
  21. kid — child
  22. cap — a lid
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wave — with your hand

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