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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: bear · tear · fork · temple · mate · staff · file · object

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a document
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — to protest
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tear — from crying
  21. staff — employees
  22. object — a thing
  23. file — a tool
  24. mate — to breed

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