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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: wave · clip · patient · drill · jam · roll · calf · track

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom got himself in 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. roll — a cake
  2. drill — a practice
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — a path
  6. clip — a video
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. drill — the tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — for paper
  11. track — a song
  12. drill — army training
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. roll — a list
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. clip — to cut
  22. track — to keep track
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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