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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 120 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: pass · ruler · spell · cold · foot · charge · face · chair

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. spell — letters
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — not warm
  7. charge — a price
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — magic
  10. cold — an illness
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — a leader
  24. face — to confront

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