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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: calf · row · file · jam · hide · bore · mate · lash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. file — a document
  7. mate — a partner
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. row — a line
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. row — to paddle
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. row — a quarrel

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