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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: charge · face · content · ball · roll · race · rest · fan

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a dance
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. roll — a cake
  10. face — to confront
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. race — the arms race
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. roll — a list
  16. race — a contest
  17. charge — electricity
  18. race — humankind
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — the amount
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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