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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · cell · ball · face · charge · bark · bay · lean

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cell — a phone
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — thin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — to confront
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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