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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: wave · object · calf · cell · cabinet · file

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — a thing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — to protest
  13. file — a document
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — an aim

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