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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: shower · object · stand · hand · bass · band · staff · mark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the fish
  10. hand — help
  11. shower — rain
  12. bass — low music
  13. object — an aim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a music group
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — to protest
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — a thing

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