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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 · mark · wind · object · rest · ball · file · foot

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. object — an aim
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tear — to rip
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. object — to protest
  17. file — a document
  18. rest — a break
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. object — a thing

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