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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 120 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: charge · bore · swing · nail · bound · coach · tube · current

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — obliged
  12. charge — a price
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — happening now
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — of water
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — tied together

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