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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. charge — a price
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bank — of a river
  16. last — final
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. charge — in control
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. last — to go on

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