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

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a music group
  4. suit — to fit
  5. charge — electricity
  6. field — a subject
  7. charge — a price
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. scale — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — farmland
  16. suit — in cards
  17. band — a ring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. charge — in control
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. field — for sport

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