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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 · bass · track · saw · face · straw · board · rule

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. face — part of the head
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. face — to confront
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — the fish
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. saw — the tool
  16. track — a path
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. charge — electricity
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — a law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. board — a committee

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