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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 · track · spring · bass · rush · safe · last · swing

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. charge — in control
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spring — a coil
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. spring — of water
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. charge — a price
  24. spring — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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