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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: face · cell · root · charge · present · chair · current · key

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. present — there
  3. current — happening now
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — of water
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — electric
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chair — a leader
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — in control
  17. root — the cause
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cell — in biology
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. cell — a phone

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