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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: rash · tear · plane · lie · deal · craft · file · fine

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tear — from crying
  3. file — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — boats
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fine — all right
  22. file — a document
  23. deal — to handle
  24. craft — a handicraft

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