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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: ground · row · bound · hide · band · wind · nail · spell

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — a short time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — magic
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. ground — a position
  19. band — a ring
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. band — a music group
  24. row — a quarrel

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