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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.

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: staff · lash · leaves · charge · bass · craft · clip · chip

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — for paper
  3. craft — boats
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bass — the fish
  12. staff — employees
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. charge — a price
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — in control
  24. chip — for betting

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