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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: firm · stock · wave · press · hand · board · shower · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. shower — rain
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. board — a committee
  11. stock — goods
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. press — a publisher
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — to wash
  17. firm — steady
  18. stock — shares
  19. firm — a company
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. board — to get on

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