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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: bass · staff · deal · fan · hide · band · rest · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — what's left
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bass — low music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a ring

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