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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 116 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: stock · wave · clip · calf · bore · leaves · saw · squash

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — to cut
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — a video
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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