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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: cap · lean · pound · bass · wound · stick · pass · file

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. file — a document
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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