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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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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: chair · leaves · band · charge · board · tear · nail · cue

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tear — to rip
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. board — to get on
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. band — a music group
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — a price
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — for pool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cue — a signal
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chair — a leader
  22. tear — from crying
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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