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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
468
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: rush · tear · file · tube · degree · safe · prune · lie

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. tube — a container
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a line of people
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tear — from crying
  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