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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bass — low music
  3. firm — steady
  4. charge — a price
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. craft — boats
  9. row — a line
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. row — to paddle
  18. firm — a company
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — the instrument

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