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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: clip · sharp · mark · tear · face · charge · calf · can

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — to be able to
  4. clip — a video
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — a price
  11. clip — for paper
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tear — to rip
  14. face — to point toward
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — part of the head
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — a trace
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — electricity

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