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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: rule · track · lash · charge · band · swing · straw · court

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. charge — electricity
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — of a king
  7. band — a music group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a ring
  10. charge — in control
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a path
  18. swing — in golf
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — music

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