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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: file · wind · rush · calf · swing · fall · firm · deal

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. deal — to handle
  6. swing — to play on
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — steady
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fall — the season
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. swing — music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rush — a thrill

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