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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: mug · bound · press · file · drill · nail · pound · band

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a face
  3. band — a ring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bound — tied together
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. drill — a practice
  9. press — to push
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. drill — army training
  14. file — a tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — newspapers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. file — a document

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