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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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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: lash · press · cell · charge · scale · wave · arm · tube

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — in music
  5. charge — in control
  6. cell — in biology
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — a container
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tube — the underground
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cell — a phone
  24. scale — size or range

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