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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 116 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 · last · mouse · lean · face · stock · bound · ball

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a document
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — part of the head
  6. file — a tool
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bound — tied together
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. last — finally
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. last — final
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bound — certain
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to confront

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