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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: bark · swing · rock · cabinet · charge · rash · wound · mouse

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — a price

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