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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 · lie · rock · face · cabinet · wind · cell · trunk

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. charge — a price
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lie — to recline
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — in control
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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