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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: can · wind · bay · scale · kick · charge · hide · cabinet

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. charge — electricity
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — a price
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. scale — in music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. can — a tin
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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