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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 · calf · scale · mug · file · fan · snap · lie

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. scale — in music
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mug — a face
  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