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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.

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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: craft · face · ball · bat · rush · spring · deal · charge

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — to confront
  7. craft — boats
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. spring — the season
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spring — of water
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bat — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. charge — electricity

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