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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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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 · file · row · swing · wind · arm · foot · bowl

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. swing — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. row — a line
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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