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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 · key · calf · track · prune · spell · charge · current

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — electricity
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — the most important part
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — of water
  14. track — to keep track
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — to trim
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. track — a song
  22. face — part of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. charge — a price

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