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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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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 · lean · wound · mug · rock · band · nail · jam

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a face
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. file — a line of people
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — music
  9. band — a ring
  10. mug — to rob
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a document
  19. wound — an injury
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. file — a tool
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. band — a music group

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