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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: lie · charge · wave · fan · sharp · clip · net · lash

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. net — in sport
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — a video
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. charge — in control
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. clip — to cut

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