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

Word bank: club · file · wave · bore · safe · tear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. file — a document
  15. bore — to tire
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wave — of the sea

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