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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · mine · file · craft · kick · press · calf · ground

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a line of people
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. file — a tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — for digging
  19. press — a publisher
  20. content — happy
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — to push

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