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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: bound · plane · sharp · calf · mouse · file · saw · hand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — a tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — an aircraft

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