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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: scale · bear · spell · charge · face · capital · game · nail

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — a price
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. capital — a city
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. spell — a short time
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — magic
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — a match
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spell — letters
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — money
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — to confront
  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