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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · charge · band · drill · key · tube · hide · rock

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — a stone
  4. charge — a price
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rock — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. charge — electricity
  10. key — in music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. tube — a container
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — the underground
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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