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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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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: kick · bowl · face · charge · fall · chip · bay · bear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — a price
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. fall — the season
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — in control
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — part of the head

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