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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. deal — to handle
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — an illness
  5. charge — a price
  6. kid — child
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. face — to confront
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cold — not warm
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — a big deal

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