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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 116 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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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 · clip · club · lash · safe · bay · swing · lie

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — a group
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. charge — in control
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — music
  11. club — for golf
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — in golf
  15. clip — to cut
  16. charge — a price
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lie — an untruth

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