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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: tear · file · nail · deal · bear · pound · rule · pop

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pop — soda
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rule — a law
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — government
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pound — to hit hard

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