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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 120 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: bear · wave · saw · rock · calf · stock · swing · root

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — music
  6. stock — shares
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. root — the cause
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. root — of a plant
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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