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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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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: deal · file · rock · lash · wound · net · pass · tear

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. file — a document
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pass — a permit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — for catching
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — in sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to succeed
  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