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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: charge · mouse · roll · straw · key · firm · face · land

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — to point toward
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — steady
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. roll — a list
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — electricity
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — decided
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. land — a country
  24. straw — dry grass

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