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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: kick · file · rash · club · branch · sharp · calf · pitcher

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rash — a series
  23. club — for golf
  24. branch — a division

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