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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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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: wind · lie · staff · charge · face · snap · cap · bank

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cap — a lid
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. face — to confront
  15. staff — a stick
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to click
  24. face — part of the head

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