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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: dip · track · rash · bass · kid · clip · bound · charge

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. kid — child
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. clip — for paper
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — in control
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. charge — electricity
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. track — a song
  17. bass — low music
  18. charge — a price
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rash — a series
  23. track — a path
  24. dip — to sink

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