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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: bear · bulb · perch · tube · rash · calf · mate · sharp

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mate — to breed
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. tube — a container
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — a series
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — a friend

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