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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: nail · pit · calf · clip · spell · stem · wake · fork

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wake — a trail
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spell — letters
  8. pit — a hole
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — in a road
  11. clip — for paper
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — in a race
  19. clip — to cut
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — a short time

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