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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: present · scale · stem · fine · swing · wind · calf · bay

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. swing — music
  6. present — the time now
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. present — there
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. scale — in music
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — high quality
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wind — moving air

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