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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: face · bulb · charge · kick · season · chest · bark · pit

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. season — of the year
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. face — part of the head
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chest — a box
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — in football
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — in sport
  17. charge — a price
  18. bark — to shout
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  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