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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · calf · mine · present · file · can · bore · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mine — for digging
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. can — a tin
  17. fork — in a road
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — there
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. file — a document

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