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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.

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: clip · lash · fork · charge · file · can · chair · wax

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. can — a tin
  3. clip — for paper
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — electricity
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. clip — a video
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — a price
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — a tin

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