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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 120 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: sharp · charge · leaves · lash · capital · scale · snap · pound

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. scale — in music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to click
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — electricity
  14. capital — a city
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. scale — size or range
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. charge — in control
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — for weighing

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