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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · band · charge · cap · tube · branch · chair · object

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. charge — in control
  3. band — a ring
  4. object — an aim
  5. band — a music group
  6. charge — electricity
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — to protest
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — a division
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — in a tire

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