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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · charge · lash · leaves · coach · bass · mate · lie

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — to recline
  3. charge — a price
  4. face — part of the head
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. face — to point toward
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — a friend
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. face — to confront
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bass — low music
  24. lash — an eyelash

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