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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: calf · cabinet · charge · clip · mug · season · wound · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. charge — electricity
  4. clip — for paper
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — to cut
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — size or range
  16. charge — a price
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. clip — a video
  21. season — in sport
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mug — a face
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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