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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: fine · pound · firm · hide · band · pass · land · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. band — a music group
  5. land — to come down
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pound — a weight
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. land — ground
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — decided
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. fine — high quality
  21. land — a country
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. hand — help
  24. firm — a company

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