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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. face — part of the head
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — not warm
  8. kid — child
  9. current — happening now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. current — electric
  24. face — to confront

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