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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 120 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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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: mark · calf · safe · perch · mine · row · file · content

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. file — a document
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — to paddle
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. content — the amount
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a trace

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