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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: bound · track · shower · tube · charge · lash · swing · pop

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — rain
  6. swing — to play on
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — soda
  11. charge — a price
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — music
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pop — music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — to visit

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