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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
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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: straw · band · spell · dip · wax · hide · mouse · charge

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — a price
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — in control
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — to grow
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spell — letters
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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