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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.

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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: face · craft · charge · toast · lash · pass · fine · clip

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — part of the head
  7. charge — a price
  8. craft — a skill
  9. clip — for paper
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — boats
  16. clip — a video
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. face — to confront
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — in control

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