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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: charge · band · spell · fall · fan · deal · face · object

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — an aim
  7. fall — the season
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — magic
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a music group
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — a thing
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — a short time
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. charge — electricity
  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