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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 116 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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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: wind · bowl · charge · face · stand · ball · snap · band

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. band — a music group
  5. snap — to click
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — a price
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wind — moving air
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — to bear
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. face — to confront
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a great time
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. charge — electricity

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