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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
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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: row · land · bound · temple · mug · lash · mine · file

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. file — a tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a document
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — a face
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. file — a line of people
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bound — tied together
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. land — to come down
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lash — to lash out

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