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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: ground · bulb · staff · mark · calf · spell · wake · file

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — letters
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — a short time
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bulb — for light
  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