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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: bay · chair · charge · fine · pop · roll · leaves · face

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — a cake
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pop — music
  5. roll — a list
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pop — to visit
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — all right
  17. pop — soda
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. charge — in control
  21. fine — high quality
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. roll — on a roll

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