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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: season · can · mate · clip · tear · bound · file · lie

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. clip — a video
  8. tear — to rip
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a tool
  13. bound — certain
  14. clip — for paper
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — to breed
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — obliged

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