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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: face · toast · foot · cap · charge · lie · lean · fan

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to bend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. charge — in control
  24. toast — bread

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