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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 · fine · face · board · roll · toast · season · cold

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — part of the head
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. charge — in control
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — in sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. roll — a list
  12. board — to get on
  13. toast — bread
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — to point toward
  18. season — of the year
  19. fine — all right
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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