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

Word bank: deal · lean · tube · track · rest · file · stand · calf

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — a path
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a document
  20. track — a song
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tube — a container

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