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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 · date · firm · stand · nail · mug · chest · snap

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — to rob
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. firm — decided
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — a box
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. chest — of your body
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mug — a face
  22. firm — steady
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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