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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — a price
  3. cap — a hat
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cap — a lid
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — happening now
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — of ice
  21. charge — in control
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — with your hand

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