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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 · fall · rule · sharp · foot · file · mouse · prune

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. file — a line of people
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fall — to drop
  16. file — a tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. fall — the season
  19. prune — to trim
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rule — government

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