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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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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: staff · bulb · key · calf · clip · temple · sharp · file

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. key — in music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. clip — to cut
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. clip — for paper
  10. file — a document
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — the most important part
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. staff — employees

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