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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 · rush · object · net · safe · file · jam · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. object — to protest
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — crushed
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — to rip
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. net — in sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. tear — from crying
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. object — an aim
  21. net — after costs
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — hurry

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