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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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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. object — to protest
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — a thing
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ground — crushed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tear — to rip
  19. file — a document
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — an aim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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