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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · clip · nail · date · temple · file · bound · tear

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — tied together
  4. net — for catching
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. file — a tool
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bound — certain
  18. tear — from crying
  19. net — in sport
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. date — the fruit
  23. clip — a video
  24. date — on the calendar

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