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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: suit · bore · hide · stem · staff · wave · clip · fork

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. staff — a stick
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bore — to drill
  23. clip — a video
  24. stem — a stem cell

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