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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 120 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
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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 · bear · spell · mine · stick · staff · sharp · charge

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — for digging
  21. face — to point toward
  22. charge — in control
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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