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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.

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: file · current · clip · wake · squash · straw · calf · stand

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — a video
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a document
  7. clip — to cut
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — a trail
  12. file — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. clip — for paper
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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