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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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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: last · charge · wind · staff · calf · bass · fall · wave

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. staff — employees
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — finally
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — final
  15. fall — the season
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — a price
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — to go on

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