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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 120 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: pound · file · bay · dip · mug · ground · leaves · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — to rob
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a document
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mug — a face
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. file — a line of people

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