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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 116 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 · band · charge · ball · bear · kick · saw · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. kick — in football
  3. band — a music group
  4. ball — a great time
  5. face — part of the head
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. band — a ring
  14. face — to confront
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. charge — in control
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bear — the animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ball — a dance

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