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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.

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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: key · calf · swing · content · rash · file · bound · stick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a tool
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — for a lock
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rash — a series
  10. swing — music
  11. content — happy
  12. file — a document
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — the amount
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — tied together
  24. swing — in golf

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