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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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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: firm · rush · stand · board · band · mark · shower · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. shower — rain
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — decided
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. band — a music group
  16. board — a committee
  17. rush — hurry
  18. shower — to wash
  19. board — to get on
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. stand — for spectators

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