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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: saw · craft · suit · calf · row · bound · stock · clip

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. suit — clothes
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. clip — for paper
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — shares
  24. craft — a handicraft

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