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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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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. charge — a price
  3. mug — a cup
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. wave — of the sea

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