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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · hide · charge · bass · mine · snap · wax · stick

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. snap — to click
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. charge — in control

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