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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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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 · perch · content · vault · nail · row · file · pit

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. row — a line
  3. content — happy
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — the amount
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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