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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: charge · tube · key · snap · can · scale · kid · cabinet

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. charge — a price
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. can — to be able to
  12. charge — in control
  13. snap — to click
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kid — child
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tube — the underground
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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