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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: plane · chair · hide · calf · cap · file · key · wound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cap — of ice
  11. key — in music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cap — a hat
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. key — for a lock

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