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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.

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: band · mug · leaves · bound · row · rock · kid · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — tied together
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bound — obliged
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — to tease
  9. band — a music group
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — a line
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kid — child
  21. band — a ring
  22. rock — music
  23. bound — certain
  24. mug — to rob

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