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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 116 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
468
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: chair · swing · charge · spell · band · rash · key · lash

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chair — a leader
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — a series
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rash — hasty
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. band — a ring
  21. key — in music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — an eyelash

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