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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: face · charge · can · calf · track · deal · last · dip

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. last — finally
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — to handle
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — to point toward
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — a big deal

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