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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: mark · face · craft · clip · dip · rock · saw · charge

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — to point toward
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. clip — to cut
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — a price
  16. clip — a video
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. clip — for paper
  19. craft — a skill
  20. charge — electricity
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — music
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mark — a grade

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