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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
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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: arm · mine · pitcher · trunk · bay · calf · file · fall

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a document
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a tool
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. arm — part of the body

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