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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: lie · snap · calf · field · cap · bowl · scale · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cap — a lid
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cap — a hat
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — in music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cap — of ice
  16. charge — a price
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — for sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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