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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: calf · fork · hide · present · mouse · file · saw · lie

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — a gift

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