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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spell — letters
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. board — a committee
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tear — to rip
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. file — a tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. file — a line of people
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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