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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.

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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: lean · net · file · tube · arm · calf · content · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. file — a tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tube — the underground
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lean — to bend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — in sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. file — a line of people
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — a container
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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