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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: tube · tear · band · bass · cap · hand · chip · safe

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. hand — help
  6. cap — a hat
  7. band — a music group
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tear — from crying
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hand — in cards
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bass — the fish

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