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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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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: tube · march · charge · chair · spell · ruler · face · kick

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. spell — magic
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — in control
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — a short time
  19. face — to confront
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — a price
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. kick — in football

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