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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 116 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: straw · staff · dip · trunk · calf · kick · press · file

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. file — a document
  5. staff — employees
  6. press — newspapers
  7. file — a tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. staff — a stick
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. calf — of the leg

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