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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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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: bound · tear · snap · sharp · fine · file · rest · mug

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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 — to rip
  2. snap — to click
  3. bound — tied together
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fine — all right
  9. file — a line of people
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bound — certain
  16. mug — a cup
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rest — what's left
  19. file — a document
  20. rest — a break
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. tear — from crying
  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