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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: foot · patient · shower · charge · mine · face · fall · wax

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — to drop
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to confront
  8. wax — to grow
  9. shower — rain
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — in control
  14. face — part of the head
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. charge — a price
  24. mine — an explosive

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