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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: lean · saw · stock · calf · clip · suit · key · cell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — clothes
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — goods
  13. cell — in biology
  14. suit — to fit
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cell — a phone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. clip — a video
  23. stock — shares
  24. cell — in a prison

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