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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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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 · bat · fall · bank · present · bulb · deal · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. face — to point toward
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — a price
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — to handle
  19. charge — in control
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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