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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: land · lash · spell · face · stand · drill · pop · charge

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to confront
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. face — part of the head
  8. drill — a practice
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — to bear
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — a price
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pop — to visit
  17. land — ground
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — to come down
  23. pop — soda
  24. charge — in control

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