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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: deal · hide · bore · stick · face · charge · wave · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — part of the head
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. face — to confront
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — to handle
  21. charge — electricity
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to drill

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