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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: clip · file · wound · shower · board · track · calf · patient

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a committee
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. clip — for paper
  12. file — a line of people
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. shower — rain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wound — an injury
  18. shower — to wash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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