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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: cap · mine · charge · rule · swing · file · scale · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — government
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rule — a law
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. charge — a price
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. charge — in control
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — a hat
  24. charge — electricity

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