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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: calf · branch · lie · clip · board · deal · vault · file

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. branch — a division
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. clip — to cut
  10. file — a document
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — to recline
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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