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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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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 · spring · swing · stand · stem · kick · ball · content

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. content — happy
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — of water

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