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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: cap · lash · can · clip · charge · scale · tear · mug

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cap — a lid
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. clip — to cut
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — a price
  18. mug — a face
  19. cap — a hat
  20. clip — for paper
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. can — to be able to

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