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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: deal · perch · march · charge · snap · spell · bear · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. charge — electricity
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — music
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. charge — in control
  14. snap — to click
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — a short time
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — letters
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. perch — for a bird

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