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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: chair · face · leaves · sharp · stand · net · charge · lie

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. net — for catching
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — to point toward
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — in sport
  18. face — to confront
  19. chair — a leader
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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