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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 · bound · ball · charge · bass · stick · hide · lash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — a price
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bass — low music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. charge — electricity

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