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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: spell · sharp · file · pit · wave · calf · content · stem

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. content — the amount
  2. file — a line of people
  3. content — happy
  4. file — a tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spell — letters
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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