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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: face · charge · march · rest · root · safe · track · lash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. track — a song
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — electricity
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to point toward
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. face — part of the head
  21. track — a path
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. march — music

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