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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · lash · file · bay · branch · bulb · calf · mouse

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. branch — a division
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — rain
  16. file — a line of people
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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