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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.

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: scale · spell · fork · content · rule · bore · lash · charge

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rule — a law
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — in music
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — letters
  20. content — happy
  21. spell — magic
  22. rule — government
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — in control

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