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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: charge · wind · firm · face · jam · wake · rock · craft

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — to point toward
  5. charge — a price
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — in control
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. firm — steady
  22. rock — a stone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wind — to turn a key

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