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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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