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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: jam · kid · sharp · wake · calf · deal · file · bulb

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kid — to tease
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — a trail
  15. file — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. jam — in traffic

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