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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: pass · band · mark · hand · nail · bass · spell · saw

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pass — a permit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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