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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — in football
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — of ice
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. charge — a price
  12. cap — a hat
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — size or range

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