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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
468
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: stem · lash · calf · track · clip · patient · bank · stock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — for paper
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. track — to keep track
  9. clip — a video
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stock — shares
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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