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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: squash · stick · hand · firm · band · plane · board · bay

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. band — a music group
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. squash — the sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — to get on
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. plane — a tool

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