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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.

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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: pit · clip · face · cell · nail · foot · bulb · charge

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. charge — in control
  3. foot — a measure
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cell — in biology
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. charge — a price
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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