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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.

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: fall · chip · file · calf · object · spell · fan · mine

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — for betting
  11. object — a thing
  12. spell — magic
  13. file — a document
  14. mine — for digging
  15. file — a tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — letters
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — to protest
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a line of people

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