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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a grade
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — electricity
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — money
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. bank — for money

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