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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: charge · rash · rest · scale · rock · fall · calf · ruler

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — size or range
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. charge — in control
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fall — the season
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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