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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — a price
  10. chip — for betting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — to eat

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