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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.

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: wake · mouse · mine · charge · bat · mark · wave · band

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. band — a ring
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. band — a music group
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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