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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: staff · date · face · band · kick · chip · stand · nail

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stand — to bear
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. band — a music group
  24. date — on the calendar

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