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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: file · bore · spell · sharp · content · bulb · calf · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — happy
  3. file — a document
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spell — letters
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — clever
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — magic
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — the amount
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spell — a short time
  23. can — to be able to
  24. calf — a young animal

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