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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
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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: wave · cell · staff · bass · charge · kick · drill · mark

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. drill — army training
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — in biology
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — in football
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — a practice

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