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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: hide · firm · file · lash · cabinet · calf · stand · lie

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — decided
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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