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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: dip · rest · fork · tear · mug · hide · coach · file

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to sink
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — a face
  23. tear — to rip
  24. hide — animal skin

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