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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: board · rash · band · pass · pop · nail · lean · charge

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pop — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — a price
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pop — to visit
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pass — a permit
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — a committee
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to spend time

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