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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: tube · date · calf · wound · fall · file · bore · march

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wound — an injury
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — a container
  14. file — a line of people
  15. march — the month
  16. file — a tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. march — music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fall — to drop

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