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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
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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: mine · bass · safe · straw · wake · date · charge · chip

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. date — the fruit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. charge — electricity
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. straw — a straw man

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