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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: track · rash · wake · deal · file · mate · pop · tear

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tear — from crying
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rash — a series
  20. deal — to handle
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pop — music
  24. rash — on the 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