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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.

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: racket · file · saw · craft · object · bound · pass · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. object — an aim
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — a permit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. file — a document
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — to protest
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bound — tied together

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