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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.

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: bore · scale · ruler · can · cue · cell · lie · charge

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bore — to tire
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cell — in biology
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cue — for pool

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