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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.

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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: pass · face · band · charge · temple · capital · drill · rest

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — a permit
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. band — a music group
  9. drill — army training
  10. charge — a price
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — money
  24. band — a rubber band

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