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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 116 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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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: charge · stock · wound · bass · lie · suit · clip · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — the fish
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bass — low music
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stock — goods
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — to recline
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — a soup base

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