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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 · hide · present · tube · calf · season · file · sharp

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. 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. season — of the year
  2. sharp — clever
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — there
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — in sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. present — the time now
  20. tube — a container
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — the fish
  24. 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