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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.

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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 · wax · bass · stick · current · jam · spell · straw

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. current — electric
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — happening now
  22. spell — letters
  23. charge — in control
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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