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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: craft · net · firm · board · press · hide · wound · band

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — after costs
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. band — a ring
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — decided
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. firm — steady
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — an injury

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