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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
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: rock · coach · march · calf · hide · tube · root · file

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. root — the cause
  9. file — a document
  10. march — music
  11. file — a tool
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rock — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — a stone
  22. march — the month
  23. tube — a container
  24. root — of a plant

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