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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · drill · race · mine · face · cap

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. drill — army training
  8. race — a contest
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — a price
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. face — to confront
  16. race — humankind
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive

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