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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — newspapers
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — a match
  10. stock — shares
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a document
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. tube — a container
  17. stock — goods
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — to push
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. file — a line of people

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