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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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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: pass · bay · chair · hide · mine · band · kid · branch

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — to tease
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. band — a ring
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kid — child
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — a division
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a music group
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chair — a leader

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