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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: season · kick · lean · file · suit · clip · calf · hide

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — in cards
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. suit — to fit
  10. file — a document
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — thin
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. suit — clothes
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a line of people

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