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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 · cue · arm · calf · track · lash · chip · row

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. track — a song
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cue — a signal
  6. track — a path
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cue — for pool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. file — a document
  20. track — to keep track
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cue — a hint
  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