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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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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: coach · scale · jam · firm · file · tear · chest · calf

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — decided
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a document
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a line of people
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. firm — steady
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — size or range

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