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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: fine · calf · chair · row · perch · face · tube · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fine — all right
  3. row — a line
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — the underground
  18. face — to confront
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. face — to point toward

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