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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · lean · tube · season · face · key · charge · wake

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — part of the head
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — thin
  24. face — to point toward

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