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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: spell · bore · swing · stem · current · wax · calf · capital

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  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. current — of water
  2. swing — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stem — to come from
  7. current — happening now
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — letters
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. capital — money
  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