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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: lean · calf · wave · jam · current · capital · stem · spell

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — letters
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — electric
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — magic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — money
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. capital — a big letter
  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