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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · band · squash · bay · rock · file · saw · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. rock — music
  9. game — a match
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a music group
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. file — a document
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. saw — the tool
  24. band — a ring

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