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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.

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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: press · file · lie · cold · calf · wave · cabinet · chip

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lie — to recline
  3. file — a document
  4. cold — not warm
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. file — a tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — to push
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cabinet — ministers

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