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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: face · swing · charge · rash · current · pound · file · bound

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. face — to confront
  6. charge — a price
  7. bound — certain
  8. face — part of the head
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. charge — electricity
  12. current — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — tied together
  15. file — a tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. swing — music
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rash — a series
  23. face — to point toward
  24. current — electric

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