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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: wake · stem · stick · bay · current · season · straw · clip

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. clip — a video
  19. current — electric
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stem — to come from
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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