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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · wound · track · tear · deal · land · tube · saw

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. deal — to handle
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a line of people
  6. land — a country
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. track — a song
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — ground
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tube — the underground
  20. track — to keep track
  21. land — to come down
  22. file — a tool
  23. wound — an injury
  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