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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bound — obliged
  9. firm — a company
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a document
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. firm — decided
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — certain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — of the leg

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