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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: calf · file · lean · toast · straw · degree · craft · club

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — a group
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. file — a tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — for dancing
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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