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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. face — part of the head
  3. charge — in control
  4. fall — the season
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cell — in biology
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. charge — a price

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