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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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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: file · calf · bulb · stick · clip · pound · present · toast

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — a video
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — a gift
  6. file — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. present — there
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. present — the time now
  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