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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: bear · sharp · mine · clip · calf · pit · cap · toast

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pit — a hole
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a hat
  10. clip — a video
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — of ice
  13. toast — bread
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pit — in a race

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