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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: season · lie · patient · fall · can · face · charge · straw

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — a price
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — to confront
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. can — a tin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. face — part of the head
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — of the year
  24. charge — in control

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