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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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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 · bound · present · calf · ruler · mark · kid · craft

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. present — there
  6. mark — a trace
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. file — a document
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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