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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: rest · bound · shower · jam · staff · charge · row · lash

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — a price
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. shower — rain
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rest — what's left
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. staff — employees
  14. row — a line
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rest — a break
  18. staff — a stick
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. jam — in traffic

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