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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: bulb · file · saw · chair · race · roll · calf · bark

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. file — a line of people
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chair — a leader
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bulb — for light

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