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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: bear · charge · race · object · face · hand · leaves · temple

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. charge — electricity
  4. face — part of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. race — a contest
  10. hand — help
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. charge — a price
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — a thing
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — lets stay

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