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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: lash · patient · scale · present · tear · clip · charge · craft

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. clip — to cut
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — there
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — a skill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. charge — electricity
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. charge — a price

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