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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. dip — to sink
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. temple — a place of worship

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