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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · saw · wound · content · file · calf · lie · bear

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — an injury
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bear — the animal
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a face
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — the amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a document
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. calf — a young animal

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