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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · hide · lean · face · stock · charge · safe · ground

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to bend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cell — a phone
  5. charge — in control
  6. ground — a position
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stock — shares
  12. ground — the earth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stock — goods
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. charge — a price
  24. cell — in a prison

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