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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.

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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: charge · face · leaves · ball · present · nail · mug · wound

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. charge — electricity
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — part of the head
  5. present — there
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. charge — a price
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. face — to confront
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to point toward
  24. nail — for a hammer

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