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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.

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: cap · charge · fork · straw · face · track · staff · can

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cap — of ice
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. face — to point toward
  6. charge — a price
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cap — a hat
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — in control
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — a song
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — employees

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