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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — part of the head
  3. capital — money
  4. track — a path
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — in football
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. capital — a city
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — to point toward
  16. track — a song
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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