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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: rest · suit · rash · charge · pound · face · wake · fall

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — a trail
  4. fall — the season
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — in control
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — clothes
  17. charge — a price
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — before a funeral

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