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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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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: board · foot · spell · pound · file · tear · nail · ball

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a dance
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — to get on
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ball — a great time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. board — a committee
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pound — a weight
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tear — from crying

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