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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
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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 · season · bass · racket · mouse · prune · lash · wound

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — low music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — of the year
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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