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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 120 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
468
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: foot · mine · leaves · file · ball · swing · face · charge

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — to point toward
  4. file — a tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. charge — in control
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ball — a great time
  11. file — a document
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — in golf
  17. charge — a price
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. file — a line of people
  20. swing — music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — electricity
  24. leaves — of a tree

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