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

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — to confront
  7. board — a committee
  8. pop — music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. face — to point toward
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — the most important part
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — to visit
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — part of the head
  20. key — in music
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — to get on
  24. calf — a young animal

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