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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: rash · net · suit · bass · clip · hand · charge · trunk

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. charge — a price
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — in sport
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — a series
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. net — after costs

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