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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. squash — the sport
  6. chip — to eat
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. squash — to crush
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth

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