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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 · board · press · coach · charge · root · straw · scale

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. scale — size or range
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. root — of a word
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. charge — in control
  7. root — the cause
  8. face — part of the head
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — in music
  12. face — to confront
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. press — a publisher
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. root — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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