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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 116 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: lean · hand · can · pop · pass · ball · patient · band

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pop — music
  7. lean — thin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a great time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. band — a music group
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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