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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.

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: file · saw · degree · nail · mug · lash · tear · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — a face
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — from a university
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. degree — temperature
  16. file — a line of people
  17. degree — an amount
  18. file — a document
  19. mug — a cup
  20. file — a tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. saw — the tool

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