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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: file · bank · bowl · calf · march · leaves · squash · straw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — the month
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. march — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. file — a document
  19. bank — of a river
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — a young animal

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