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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · lash · cabinet · charge · scale · kid · hand · band

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wake — a trail
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — electricity
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. lash — an eyelash

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