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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: mug · wave · bass · wax · charge · nail · ruler · dip

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. mug — a face
  4. bass — low music
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. charge — a price
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bass — the fish
  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