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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: chest · rock · prune · face · wave · charge · hide · capital

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. charge — in control
  4. capital — money
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — electricity
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chest — a box
  13. capital — a city
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rock — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. rock — to move gently

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