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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: lash · file · cabinet · press · calf · branch · firm · spell

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — decided
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — a company
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. branch — a division
  11. file — a document
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a line of people
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. file — a tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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