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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: mug · bass · ground · lie · bound · dip · file · stick

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mug — a cup
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — low music
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — a position
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bound — tied together

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