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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. 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. calf — a young animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. file — a tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. scale — in music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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