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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: track · charge · lash · key · field · band · pop · face

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. charge — electricity
  3. band — a ring
  4. track — a path
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — in music
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a music group
  16. track — a song
  17. key — the most important part
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. pop — to visit
  24. field — farmland

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