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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 · net · swing · chest · pop · foot · root · charge

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. charge — electricity
  4. net — for catching
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chest — of your body
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. net — after costs
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. foot — a measure
  23. net — in sport
  24. swing — in golf

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