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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 120 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. current — electric
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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