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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: rash · charge · kid · clip · hide · band · pass · object

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. object — a thing
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. charge — a price
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a music group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. object — to protest
  18. pass — a permit
  19. object — an aim
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a ring
  24. clip — for paper

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