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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fall — the season
  13. board — a committee
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — to get on

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