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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: field · charge · calf · wake · saw · band · rest · tube

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — electricity
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — a subject
  12. charge — in control
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rest — what's left
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. field — farmland
  24. band — a ring

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