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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · wake · clip · swing · patient · lie · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — a video
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — a price
  8. swing — in golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — a trail
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to point toward
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — in control

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