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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: swing · bear · rash · board · lash · ruler · mate · charge

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. charge — in control
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — to get on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — a price
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. board — a flat piece

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