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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · last · calf · wake · fall · degree · fan · file

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. degree — from a university
  5. file — a tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. file — a document
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — to drop
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fall — the season
  14. last — finally
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. last — final
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. degree — temperature
  24. last — to go on

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