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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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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: ruler · face · pass · tube · wake · charge · pop · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. charge — a price
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — in control
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pop — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — to confront
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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