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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: mark · saw · court · file · bound · arm · tear · rock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — certain
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. mark — to pay attention

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