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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: fall · bay · face · straw · charge · mate · mine · net

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — in sport
  3. mate — to breed
  4. charge — in control
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mate — a partner
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — the season
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — a straw man

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