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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: kid · scale · lash · cap · content · tube · bound · face

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kid — child
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to confront
  10. bound — certain
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. content — the amount
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tube — a container
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bound — obliged
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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