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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: wake · can · charge · rock · board · lash · cold · track

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cold — not warm
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. charge — electricity
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — a tin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. board — a committee
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — a stone
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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