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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.

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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: charge · court · mark · wave · nail · face · temple · file

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. charge — electricity
  8. face — to confront
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. file — a document
  22. court — of law
  23. face — to point toward
  24. court — for sport

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