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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.

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: file · row · staff · calf · trunk · chair · fall · game

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. row — a line
  24. staff — employees

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