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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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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: fall · racket · bay · season · trunk · file · calf · chair

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. season — of the year
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chair — a leader
  23. file — a tool
  24. season — in sport

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