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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: cell · hide · tube · branch · pound · lie · charge · band

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — a container
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. charge — a price
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cell — in biology
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pound — a weight
  17. branch — a division
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. charge — in control
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hide — animal skin

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