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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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Word bank
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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: ruler · file · calf · arm · hide · wind

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. 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. hide — animal skin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. 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