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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.

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: rash · bank · roll · hide · file · calf · game · cold

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bank — for money
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a list
  11. file — a line of people
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. file — a document
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — not warm
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a tool
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. game — a match

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