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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
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: rush · bore · calf · leaves · file · jam · vault · swing

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a document
  6. swing — in golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. file — a line of people
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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