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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: lean · file · fall · calf · saw · last · bark · charge

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. file — a document
  3. last — final
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — finally
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. charge — in control
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — to go on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fall — to drop
  20. file — a tool
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — the season
  24. file — a line of people

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