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

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — in control
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. clip — a video
  8. kick — in football
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. tube — the underground
  12. clip — for paper
  13. scale — in music
  14. tube — a container
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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