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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: charge · face · perch · pit · rash · kick · cell · jam

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — a price
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. face — to point toward
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — in football
  10. cell — in biology
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pit — in a race
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cell — a phone
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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