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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: object · lie · mouse · staff · present · calf · stick · file

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — to protest
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. object — a thing
  24. file — a document

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