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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: coach · wind · mark · clip · lash · date · pass · charge

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. charge — a price
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — a permit
  10. clip — to cut
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — electricity
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. clip — a video
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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