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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
468
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: perch · leaves · bulb · sharp · drill · plane · mate · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — the tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — to breed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a partner
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — clever
  19. drill — army training
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — a tool

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