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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
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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 · calf · ground · stem · perch · stand · nail · clip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stand — to bear
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. perch — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. clip — a video
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — a position
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to sink

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