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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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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 · mine · drill · bay · file · net · can · firm

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. net — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — for catching
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. net — after costs
  14. firm — a company
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — an explosive

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