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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: mug · bass · rock · craft · clip · bat · rush · charge

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — music
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — a video
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. clip — to cut
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bass — low music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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