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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hand · file · bay · chest · field · jam · calf · mug

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mug — to rob
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. field — a subject
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. field — for sport
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. chest — a box
  24. mug — a face

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