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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. 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. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a ring
  5. roll — a list
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. charge — a price
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. band — a music group
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. 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