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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: pass · track · rush · swing · charge · tear · key · cell

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — for a lock
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. track — a path
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — music
  11. track — a song
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — in control
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. key — in 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