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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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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: present · charge · shower · cell · foot · face · key · kick

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — a measure
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. present — a gift
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. charge — a price
  15. shower — rain
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. face — to point toward
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — in music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cell — a phone
  23. present — there
  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