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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. face — part of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. charge — in control
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — for sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. kick — in football
  16. face — to confront
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. kick — a thrill

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