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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
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: chip · last · stand · calf · hand · foot · file · wound

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — for betting
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hand — help
  14. file — a tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. foot — a measure
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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