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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: charge · clip · kick · lean · jam · bank · face · pit

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — a hole
  6. clip — a video
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kick — in football
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — a price
  11. bank — for money
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lean — to bend
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. face — to point toward
  18. clip — for paper
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. clip — to cut
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — in control
  24. kick — with a leg

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