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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: branch · cabinet · last · charge · bat · lean · face · date

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. last — finally
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. branch — a division
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lean — thin
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — final
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — to go on

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