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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: wax · mine · deal · temple · foot · capital · face · charge

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — to handle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. foot — a measure
  15. capital — a city
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — part of the head
  18. charge — a price
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — for digging
  24. face — to confront

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