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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: wax · bark · charge · content · lie · cabinet · fine · bass

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — low music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — all right
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — to shout
  14. content — the amount
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cabinet — ministers

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