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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bound · dip · band · fall · degree · mine · mouse · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. content — the amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. band — a music group
  8. dip — to sink
  9. degree — from a university
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. content — happy
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. degree — an amount
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bound — certain
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — tied together

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