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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.

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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: bass · stick · charge · wave · snap · chest · mark · mouse

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. charge — a price
  2. bass — low music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to click
  22. chest — a box
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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