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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: swing · stick · saw · band · pass · firm · content · plane

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. content — happy
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. firm — a company
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — steady
  22. band — a ring
  23. firm — decided
  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