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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: pop · face · charge · spell · toast · hide · nail · lean

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — electricity
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — bread
  14. charge — a price
  15. lean — thin
  16. spell — letters
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. face — to confront
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lean — to bend

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