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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 · season · charge · cap · mug · tube · trunk · mine

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cap — a hat
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. mug — a face
  12. face — to confront
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tube — a container
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mug — to rob
  24. charge — in control

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