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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 116 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: deal · shower · file · pound · charge · face · present · track

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pound — a weight
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. charge — in control
  11. present — the time now
  12. face — to confront
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — a price
  17. file — a tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — rain
  21. face — to point toward
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. track — to keep track

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