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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — the season
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a line of people

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