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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: dip · capital · clip · stick · stem · rock · calf · coach

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. clip — for paper
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — money
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. clip — a video
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. clip — to cut
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. capital — a city
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — music

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