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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: bat · dip · charge · drill · jam · face · rock · band

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. face — part of the head
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to confront
  13. charge — in control
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. drill — a practice
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rock — music
  20. drill — army training
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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