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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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468
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: file · craft · lie · tube · mouse · calf · cell · root

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — a container
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. root — of a word
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. file — a tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cell — in biology
  21. craft — boats
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cell — a phone

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