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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.

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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: foot · nail · firm · jam · bound · sharp · tear · file

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a document
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tear — from crying
  12. sharp — clever
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — a measure
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. bound — certain
  20. file — a line of people
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. firm — decided
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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