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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: calf · shower · file · rock · trunk · mark · pass · content

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. shower — to wash
  5. file — a tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mark — a trace
  18. content — happy
  19. mark — a grade
  20. file — a line of people
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — a permit

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