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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — a division
  10. lean — to bend
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — government
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rule — a law
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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