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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.

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: lash · spell · club · dip · craft · foot · mine · charge

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. charge — electricity
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. charge — a price
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for golf
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. club — for dancing
  11. charge — in control
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — boats
  14. spell — letters
  15. mine — for digging
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — a group
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spell — magic
  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