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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — a position
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. charge — in control
  9. roll — a list
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. roll — a cake
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. charge — a price
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — to rob

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