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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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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: tear · key · pass · mark · last · file · saw · deal

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — in music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. file — a tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — finally
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. last — to go on
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. last — final

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