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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.

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 · file · temple · mark · charge · staff · board · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. staff — employees
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mark — a grade
  6. board — a committee
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. face — part of the head
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — to get on

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