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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.

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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pop — music
  5. face — to confront
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pass — a permit
  17. face — part of the head
  18. charge — a price
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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