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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: wound · cue · mine · file · rush · calf · lie · bay

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. file — a document
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — for digging
  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