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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 124 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: scale · spell · nail · band · race · hand · pass · stand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. race — the arms race
  11. band — a ring
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. scale — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. race — humankind
  19. spell — letters
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — magic
  23. race — a contest
  24. scale — size or range

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