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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: kick · suit · bound · roll · sharp · calf · perch · file

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. perch — the fish
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. roll — a list
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. file — a document
  12. suit — to fit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — certain
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a line of people
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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