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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: rash · band · charge · perch · tube · jam · face · leaves

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. charge — in control
  4. tube — the underground
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — part of the head
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a music group
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rash — hasty
  13. charge — electricity
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. charge — a price
  20. face — to confront
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — a container
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — on the skin

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