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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: key · ruler · calf · staff · clip · hide · current · stock

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stock — shares
  3. key — the most important part
  4. clip — a video
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — happening now

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