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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: bass · bound · pit · toast · face · root · charge · lash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bass — the fish
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — low music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — bread
  18. bound — certain
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. charge — in control
  24. face — part of the head

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