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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 116 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 · wake · pound · band · trunk · object · hide · charge

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — a weight
  6. band — a music group
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. object — to protest
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a ring
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. charge — in control
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — for dogs

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