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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: sharp · charge · calf · bear · clip · perch · hide · field

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. charge — in control
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — the fish
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. clip — for paper

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