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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: mug · suit · charge · clip · bass · wake · cue · hide

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — for paper
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cue — a signal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. clip — to cut
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — a video
  24. bass — low music

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