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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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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 · rash · club · deal · fall · charge · wave · spring

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fall — to drop
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — a series
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. fall — the season
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. club — for dancing
  13. charge — a price
  14. spring — the season
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spring — a coil
  18. club — a group
  19. spring — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. face — part of the head
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. face — to confront
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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