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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 116 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: stick · board · calf · fall · clip · file · press · patient

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. press — to push
  3. board — to get on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. clip — for paper
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — a publisher
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. press — newspapers
  20. file — a document
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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