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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: sharp · calf · leaves · field · lean · toast · file · racket

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — a subject
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a document
  17. lean — thin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a line of people
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. field — farmland
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. field — for sport
  24. file — 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