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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: stem · press · swing · scale · wave · coach

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. scale — in music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — to push
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. coach — a trainer

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