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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.

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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: wake · rock · saw · foot · mine · present · mug · band

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. present — the time now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. present — there
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a ring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — a gift
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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