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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: drill · charge · capital · foot · stem · face · bark · sharp

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — money
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — clever
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — a price
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. charge — in control
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. capital — a city
  24. sharp — with an edge

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