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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 120 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: tube · mark · deal · face · file · calf · last · bore

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. tube — a container
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to tire
  14. file — a tool
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. tube — the underground
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. deal — to handle
  22. last — to go on
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bore — to drill

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