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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · firm · file · pound · tear · rock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. firm — a company
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pound — a weight
  10. file — a line of people
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. file — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip

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