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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.

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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: face · bat · charge · rule · wave · bound · tube · band

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a music group
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rule — government
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — electricity
  9. face — to confront
  10. charge — in control
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. face — part of the head
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tube — the underground
  18. band — a ring
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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