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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: face · mate · racket · bound · cabinet · calf · field · charge

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. bound — obliged
  2. face — to confront
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — a partner
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. field — a subject
  19. charge — electricity
  20. field — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a friend
  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