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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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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: calf · stand · wind · swing · root · wave · perch · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. root — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — clever
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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