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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.

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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: file · wound · foot · wake · bear · racket · fine · calf

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fine — all right
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. foot — a measure
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. file — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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