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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. hand — help
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ground — a position
  6. last — final
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hand — in cards
  9. charge — in control
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — finally
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — to go on
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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