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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: cap · charge · straw · mark · hand · pitcher · can · face

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to confront
  14. can — to be able to
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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