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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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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: hand · pass · rest · wound · can · firm · band · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — steady
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. firm — a company
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rest — a break
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. firm — decided
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — a permit

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