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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: pound · tear · deal · stick · file · arm · track · lean

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a line of people
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. tear — to rip
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. file — a document
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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