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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · face · can · mouse · trunk · charge · field · bass

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. bass — low music
  6. field — a subject
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — a gift
  10. face — part of the head
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — a price
  14. present — there
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. present — the time now
  22. charge — in control
  23. can — to be able to
  24. trunk — of a car

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