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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.

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: charge · bass · hide · nail · tear · bulb · saw · straw

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — a price
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tear — to rip
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bass — low music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — electricity

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