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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: content · bore · calf · fork · file · suit · land · kid

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. file — a tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. suit — clothes
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a document
  12. land — a country
  13. content — happy
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fork — in a road
  17. kid — to tease
  18. land — to come down
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — ground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kid — child
  24. suit — to fit

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