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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: bass · hide · staff · mine · jam · rest · rock · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — certain
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — employees
  8. rest — a break
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bass — low music
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — tied together
  20. staff — a stick
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rock — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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