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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 116 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: fan · scale · charge · squash · cap · leaves · row · lash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. charge — in control
  6. scale — in music
  7. squash — to crush
  8. row — a line
  9. cap — of ice
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. charge — a price
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. leaves — lets stay

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