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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · face · date · straw · current · clip · staff · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — happening now
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — to point toward
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. charge — electricity
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — a stick
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — to confront
  19. rest — a break
  20. clip — for paper
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — employees
  24. clip — a video

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