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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 116 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: track · dip · bound · file · fan · tube · bowl · calf

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tube — a container
  10. file — a tool
  11. track — a path
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. dip — to sink

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