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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — army training
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — a price
  8. key — for a lock
  9. band — a music group
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — a division
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — in music
  18. drill — a practice
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — electricity
  22. band — a ring
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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