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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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. firm — steady
  4. tube — a container
  5. file — a line of people
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — the underground
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bass — low music

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