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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · wave · coach · bear · rash · saw · charge

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. charge — a price
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. face — to point toward
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — in control

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