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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: roll · hide · land · wind · mouse · pop · mug · tube

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. tube — a container
  5. land — ground
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. land — a country
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pop — soda
  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