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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · roll · mine · kick · leaves · charge · face · scale

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mine — for digging
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. roll — a list
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — a price
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. kick — in football
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. face — to confront
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. charge — electricity
  17. scale — size or range
  18. charge — in control
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. face — to point toward
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. face — part of the head

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