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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · bass · nail · wound · fall · hide · chip · trunk

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chip — for betting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. charge — a price
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. charge — electricity

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