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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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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: cue · can · bass · charge · bank · lash · spell · hand

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the fish
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — low music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a hint

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