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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: game · leaves · wave · pop · face · temple · tear · charge

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — to point toward
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. tear — to rip
  9. game — wild animals
  10. face — to confront
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pop — to visit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — in control
  24. leaves — of a tree

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