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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 · face · tear · hide · board · mate · foot · pass

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mate — a friend
  4. face — to point toward
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — a price
  8. board — to get on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. face — part of the head
  14. charge — electricity
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. face — to confront
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mate — a partner

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