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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 · mine · bound · roll · file · hide · rock · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. roll — a list
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. rock — a stone
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hide — to keep secret

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