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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: charge · face · spell · tube · cell · wave · row · bowl

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — a container
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a line
  19. face — to confront
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spell — a short time

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