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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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. file — a line of people
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. swing — music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. deal — to handle
  24. file — a tool

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