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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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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: lean · file · tear · scale · wake · firm · rush · track

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — in music
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. track — a song
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tear — to rip
  18. firm — steady
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. file — a document
  22. firm — decided
  23. scale — size or range
  24. track — to keep track

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