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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: pound · cabinet · staff · rush · tear · pass · present · band

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — hurry
  3. present — the time now
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — there
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tear — to rip
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. present — a gift
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rush — a thrill

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