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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: present · squash · row · mug · file · calf · content · bore

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — to crush
  6. content — happy
  7. row — to paddle
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bore — to drill
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — a line
  20. content — the amount
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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