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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: cap · face · ruler · firm · band · mouse · bark · charge

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bark — to shout
  5. face — part of the head
  6. firm — decided
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. charge — in control
  13. cap — a hat
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — of ice
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — a company
  18. charge — a price
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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