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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · track · calf · chair · file · fall · face · season

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. face — to point toward
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. fine — all right
  9. fall — to drop
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — a path
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chair — a leader
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. track — a song
  23. face — part of the head
  24. chair — to sit on

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