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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 · ball · bass · tube · staff · trunk · wake · hide

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bass — low music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — in control
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — a container
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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