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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 120 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: bowl · clip · leaves · lash · pop · charge · band · staff

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. clip — for paper
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — to visit
  6. clip — a video
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a music group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — a stick
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — in control

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