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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 · ball · stick · bound · rush · can · stand · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rush — hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a document
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ball — a great time
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ball — a dance
  20. file — a tool
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — to hurry

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