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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bear · tear · leaves · fine · craft · current · wound

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a document
  9. fine — high quality
  10. file — a line of people
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. craft — a skill
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fine — a penalty

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