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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. march — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. land — ground
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. land — a country
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — the month
  24. cabinet — ministers

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