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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. charge — in control
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. clip — to cut
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. face — to confront
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mug — a face
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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