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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: fine · pitcher · calf · file · bass · rule · wound · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rule — government
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. file — a document
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — all right
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a tool
  24. rule — a law

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