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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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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: fan · bowl · court · face · charge · fall · ruler · branch

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. charge — a price
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. charge — in control
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. court — for sport
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — of law
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — a division
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. court — of a king

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