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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: file · dip · bound · trunk · content · mine · hide · drill

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bound — obliged
  3. dip — to sink
  4. content — the amount
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. drill — a practice
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bound — tied together
  16. file — a tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. drill — army training
  22. mine — for digging
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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