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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: face · band · field · shower · rush · hand · pass · firm

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a ring
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. firm — a company
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — to point toward
  17. shower — rain
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — help
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — a subject

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