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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: suit · ground · tear · spell · bore · hand · wound · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — a short time
  10. ground — the earth
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — crushed
  23. spell — magic
  24. tear — to rip

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