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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: fan · file · wound · perch · calf · bulb · pop · sharp

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — the fish
  7. sharp — clever
  8. file — a line of people
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. pop — to visit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. file — a document
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — for a bird
  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