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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 120 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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. can — to be able to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — a permit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — the 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