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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — part of the head
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. charge — in control
  8. pitch — completely
  9. face — to confront
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. charge — electricity
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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