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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 · stand · club · firm · band · board · snap · fan

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. firm — a company
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — a group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. firm — decided
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. firm — steady
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. club — for dancing

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