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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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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: pass · file · wind · field · bore · calf · rest · swing

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — a permit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. swing — to play on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to drill
  12. file — a tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — in golf

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