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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: fork · tear · kid · pass · bound · bay · file · lash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a document
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pass — a permit
  15. kid — child
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. file — a tool

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