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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: tube · kid · jam · mark · branch · lash · rule · band

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rule — government
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. branch — a division
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — a trace
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rule — a law
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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