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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: band · swing · row · stem · bound · rash · calf · mug

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mug — a cup
  4. swing — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. row — to paddle
  7. band — a ring
  8. mug — a face
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mug — to rob
  11. swing — to play on
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. swing — in golf
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — obliged

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