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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: band · swing · pound · cue · hide · clip · mug · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a music group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pound — a weight
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cue — a signal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a ring
  24. mug — a face

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