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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tear — from crying
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — in sport
  17. file — a document
  18. wind — moving air
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wind — to turn a key

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