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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · can · band · chest · jam · lie · stick · spring

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chest — a box
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — a coil
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spring — the season
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chest — of your body
  14. band — a ring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spring — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. charge — a price
  21. can — to be able to
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — in control

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