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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: band · temple · bay · nail · pass · drill · staff · chip

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — a stick
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — army training
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a ring

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