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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
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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: sharp · hide · can · file · cue · calf

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — clever
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document

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