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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: present · wound · pop · bear · bowl · file · mine · mug

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — music
  7. file — a document
  8. present — the time now
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — there
  18. pop — to visit
  19. file — a line of people
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bear — the animal

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