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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: pass · hand · land · arm · squash · band · nail · bear

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — a country
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. land — to come down
  20. pass — a permit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. land — ground
  24. arm — part of the body

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