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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: band · tube · saw · hand · dip · sharp · roll · charge

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. dip — to sink
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a ring
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. charge — a price
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. tube — the underground
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. roll — a list
  20. hand — in cards
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a music group
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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