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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: wound · file · vault · kick · rule · leaves · fine · calf

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kick — in football
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. rule — a law
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fine — all right
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — government
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. leaves — of a tree

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