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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
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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 · march · charge · mug · spell · ball · mouse · cold

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cold — not warm
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cold — an illness
  19. face — to confront
  20. ball — a great time
  21. march — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — a face
  24. charge — a price

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