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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: pit · drill · hide · present · band · charge · lean · face

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. charge — electricity
  7. face — part of the head
  8. present — there
  9. lean — thin
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. band — a ring
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — to point toward
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — army training
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — a gift
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — the tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. drill — a practice

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