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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 120 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: spell · wave · hide · stock · band · charge · fall · can

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stock — goods
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — the season
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stock — shares
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — magic
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — with your hand

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