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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 116 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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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 · stand · pass · wound · nail · face · pop · fine

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pop — soda
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. face — to confront
  12. wound — an injury
  13. band — a ring
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pop — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — to point toward

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