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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 120 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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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 · cell · bass · wake · wave · safe · firm · lash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — low music
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — a trail
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. charge — in control
  24. wave — with your hand

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