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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 120 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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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: pass · file · root · safe · racket · mine · tear · rush

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — for digging
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. root — the cause
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — of a word
  18. file — a document
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — of a plant
  23. rush — hurry
  24. safe — a strongbox

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