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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.

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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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 document
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. object — a thing
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — to protest
  11. plane — a tool
  12. clip — for paper
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. object — an aim
  16. file — a line of people
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — a video
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — letters

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