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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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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: bay · wave · band · spell · capital · lash · wind · charge

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. band — a ring
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. band — a music group
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spell — magic
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — a price
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. capital — money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — a city
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spell — letters
  24. wind — to turn a key

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