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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: leaves · chair · clip · stock · deal · calf · chip · object

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. chair — a leader
  8. clip — for paper
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stock — shares
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. object — a thing
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. clip — to cut
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — to protest
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — a video
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — in a computer

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