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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — electricity
  3. fall — to drop
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. shower — to wash
  8. tube — a container
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mate — a partner
  12. charge — a price
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. shower — rain
  16. toast — bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — the season
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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