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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 116 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: mug · sharp · clip · stem · key · calf · drill · perch

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. clip — to cut
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mug — a face
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — the tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — a video
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stem — to come from
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — clever
  23. key — in music
  24. clip — for paper

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