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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. charge — a price
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. charge — electricity
  6. chest — a box
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cap — a lid
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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