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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: file · pop · hide · lean · firm · bound · season · bass

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — of the year
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pop — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — soda
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — in sport
  15. bass — low music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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