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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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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: jam · tear · charge · face · bass · land · ground · lean

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. ground — crushed
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ground — the earth
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ground — a position
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to confront
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. bass — low music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — a price
  24. jam — in traffic

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