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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: lean · season · face · game · fork · charge · cue · shower

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. lean — thin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to bend
  7. game — a match
  8. shower — to wash
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — in a road
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — a price
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — a hint
  22. charge — in control
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — to point toward

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