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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: face · hide · charge · file · bulb · craft · can · season

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to confront
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — boats
  10. charge — a price
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — in control
  16. craft — a skill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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