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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: hide · toast · calf · file · fall · perch · current · can

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a document
  4. current — of water
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. current — electric
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — happening now
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. file — a tool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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