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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
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: wound · staff · spring · charge · wave · bass · pitcher · capital

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. charge — a price
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — money
  11. spring — of water
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. spring — a coil
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. charge — electricity
  18. capital — a city
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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