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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · file · object · wound · tear · rush · bore · perch

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. perch — the fish
  9. file — a document
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — to protest
  14. mate — a partner
  15. object — an aim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. object — a thing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. file — a line of people

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