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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a skill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. board — a committee
  15. object — an aim
  16. file — a document
  17. firm — steady
  18. craft — boats
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — decided
  21. object — a thing
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. craft — a handicraft

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