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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.

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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
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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: kick · face · wax · charge · spring · rule · perch · spell

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — the season
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — magic
  14. kick — in football
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spring — of water
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — in control
  23. wax — to grow
  24. perch — the fish

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