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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: ball · rest · season · present · wave · bass · charge · file

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — the time now
  7. charge — in control
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — of the year
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — a gift
  15. charge — a price
  16. season — in sport
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a dance

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