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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — the tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. drill — army training
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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