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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: chip · safe · wave · band · charge · hide · tube · tear

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. band — a ring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tear — from crying
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — electricity
  23. chip — for betting
  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