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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 · file · pitcher · wind · kid · net · calf · face

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — after costs
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. face — to confront
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — part of the head
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kid — child
  23. file — a document
  24. kid — to tease

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